Michigan

Bay City resident Ron Embrey, center, reflects during the lung cancer vigil on Nov. 14 at St. Mary's of Michigan. Embrey said guys he did industrial work with have died of lung cancer related to airborne chemicals that they breathed on a daily basis. The vigil was held to give information and spread awareness about lung cancer month.
(Adam Niemi | MLive.com)

SAGINAW TOWNSHIP, MI — St. Mary’s of Michigan held a vigil Thursday, Nov. 14, to raise awareness and share information and experiences about lung cancer.

The vigil at St. Mary's, 4599 Towne Centre, included glow sticks illuminated in memory of many people.

Among the handful who attended were people who themselves are cancer survivors. Peggy Jones, a Saginaw resident and breast cancer survivor, is a part of the four-member St. Mary’s of Michigan cancer support group.

“We like to stay on top of the research and what’s new in treatment for all cancers,” Jones said. “One of the things that happens when people find out you are a cancer survivor is you become the connection point for other people.”

Jones said a distant relative of hers died in the 9/11 attacks. Jones has followed the wave of lung cancer rates troubling 9/11 responders in the aftermath of the attack. She dedicated her vigil in the memory of those responders who have died as a result of lung cancer and other complications.

Jones said she is not active in the breast cancer activities, such as Relay For Life. She said she is more concerned with the technical aspect of supporting cancer patients, With a doctorate in engineering and working on electric and hybrid vehicles for GM Powertrain in Pontiac, she said she is naturally compelled to the technical aspect.

Nancy Topham, nurse navigator for breast and lung cancer at St. Mary’s of Michigan, said the vigil helps reinforce the lung cancer program that it started in March.

“This vigil came about from the lung cancer alliance. What they want to do is make lung cancer a common word as breast cancer is,” Topham said.

Topham said the event is great to help spread awareness about cancer.

“If we can diagnose lung cancer when it’s a stage one or two, we can get a cure. What we’re trying to do is get awareness out,” Topham said. “This is lung cancer-awareness month. People that are at high-risk – smokers, ex-smokers – people exposed to the elements, to get checked.”

Jones, who was diagnosed in 2007 and ended treatment in 2008 with the cancer gone, said there’s an element to fighting cancer that people need to be aware of: the aftermath.

“One of the things that people don’t realize when you go through treatment is it takes everything you got just to go through. All of your emotional energy is consumed getting through that chemo treatment or that radiation treatment,” Jones said. “You don’t have a chance to put that experience in perspective until you’re done with the treatment. For many people, it’s six months to a year after they’re done where they start to feel like they need help processing that experience.”

For more information about the St. Mary’s of Michigan cancer support group, call or email Tim Hastings: thastings@stmarysofmichigan.org or call him at 989-907-5624; or Topham: ntopham@stmarysofmichigan.org or call her at 989-497-3109.